Hot-air furnace.



J. AKERSTREAM s. J. H. FERGUSON.

HOT AIR FURNAGE. APyLIoATIoN FILED D110. 19, 1907.

Patented Aug. 9, 1910.

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J. AKERSTREAM & J. H. FERGUSON. HOT A111 FURNAGB.

ArrLIouIox 211.911 DB9. 19, 1997. 966,87-8 Patented Aug.9,1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES AKERSTREAM AND JAMES HAMILTON FERGUSON, OF WINNIPEG, MANITOBA,

' CANADA.

HOT-AIR FURNACE.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES AKERSTREAM and J AMES HAMILTON FERGUSON,subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Winnipeg, in theProvince of Manitoba and Dominion of Canada, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Hot-Air Furnaces, of which the following is aspeciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in hot air furnaces primarilyadapted for the use of gaseous fuel as a heating medium. The main objectof the present invention is the provision of a furnace, of the typedescribed, wherein the heating chamber and hot air reservoir are dividedby a heat storing plate which is adapted to be highly heated in theburning of the fuel and to radiate said heat into the reservoir, thestoring plate being adapted for the ready passage of air therethrough soas to heat th air both by contact and radiation.

The invention will be described in the following specification,reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a view in elevation of a furnace constructed in accordancewith our invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section of the same. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal horizontalsection of the same on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transversesection of the same.

Referring particularly to the drawings, our improved furnace comprises ashell or casing 1, preferably rectangular in trans-l verse section andof a sectional area commensurate with the size of the furnace de sired.Within the shell in spaced relation therewith is arranged an interiorlining 2 of asbestos or other fire-proof material, between which liningand the shell is arranged a wood lagging 3. VThe ends of the shell areclosed by heads 4, preferably edge flanged to overlie and engage theshell, the manner of securing t-he heads to the shell being immaterialso far as the present invention is concerned. At a point somewhat belowthe center of the shell or casing thus provided are secured anglebrackets 5, said brackets extending entirely around the casing andforming a support for what we term a heat storing plate 6.

The storing plate comprises spaced layers of metallic netting 7 betweenwhich is ar- Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 19, 1907.

Patented Aug. 9, 1910.

serial No. 407,264.

ranged a mass of refractory material 8 such as asbestos, wool, pumicestone, fire clay, or the like, the layer of refractory material beingarranged primarily to permit the passage of air therethrough.

That portion of the casing above the storing plate will be hereinaftertermed the hot air reservoir, as at 9, while that portion below saidstoring plate will be hereinafter termed the heat chamber, as 10. Theheads of the casing are provided with openings 11 arranged adjacent thesides of the casing, said openings being in communication with the hotair reservoir and serving to permit the escape of hot air into theapartment to be heated, either directly or through suitable pipes (notshown), by which the hot air may be conducted to the point of use. Theopenings 11 are preferably arranged near the upper edge of the head, andwhile shown in pairs in each head may be in any desired number orarrangement. Each head is also formed with an air inlet 12 communicatingwith the heating chamber, these inlets 12 serving as cold air inlets bywhich the air in normal condition is admitted to the heating chamber.The said heads have means whereby air inlets and hot air conveying pipesmay be attached thereto for communication respectively with the lowerand upper chambers of the casing, said pipe attaching means beingindicated at 12a.

The heating medium for our improved furnace is to be a gaseous fuel, andfor this purpose a gas inlet pipe 13, leading from any source `of supplyopens through the lower part of the casing and within the latter isconnected to a longitudinally disposed pipe 14which extendslongitudinally of the casing and at appropriate intervals is providedwith stand pipes 15 which in turn support short feed pipes 16 into whichlead a series of oppositely projecting pipes V17 perforated to permitthe exit of the escaping gas, said pipes 17 thereby serving as burners.The feed pipes 16 are arranged in alinement longitudinally of thecasing, each of said pipes being `fed by one of the stand pipes 15, andthe feed pipe 14 beyond each of the respective pipes is valved, as at18, so that the gas supply to any one of the pipes 16 will be readilycontrolled. One wall of the casing is provided with a series of ports 19in alinement with the valves 18, said ports providing for the control ofthe valves from beyond the easing when desired. The ports are preferablyclosed by cover plates 20 centrally formed with an inspection opening 21covered by transparent refractory material, as isinglass, whereby whenthe ports are closed the operator may readily determine the condition ofthe burners within the furnace by inspection through said openings. Thecovers are adapted for securing in any appropriate manner, beingpreferably hinged at top and having bifurcated lower extensions toreceive a threaded shank of a liXed bolt 23 and to be secured thereon bythe usual thumb nut.

The casing is encircled by bands 24: having laterally projectedperforate sections 25, which extend centrally and laterally from theside walls of the casing. This construction provides a convenient meansfor supporting the furnace from any convenient fixture or base.

In use after the ignition of the respective burners and the closing ofthe ports 19 the cold air finds its way through the inlets l2, becomeshighly heated by direct contact with the flame from the burners, andalso by its passage through the heat storing plate, it being obviousthat the iame from the burners will impart a sufficient degree of heatto the material of the storing plate to render the same highly heated.The air thus heated will find its way through the outlets 11 and pass tothe point of use. It is, of course, understood that the air passingthrough the heat storing plate is heated thereby as well as by theburners, and that such air in its passage through the heat reservoir toone of the outlets is further heated by radiation from the heat storingplate. The furnace of the present invention will, therefore, quicklyheat the desired quantity of air to a degree controlled by the conditionof the heat storing plate, it being understood that after the storingplate has become heated the fuel supply to the burners may be graduallyreduced and the heat of the storing plate mainly depended upon as theheating medium. As the air drawn in the inlets 12 is controlled inquantity by the heat condition of the interior of the furnace it is atonce apparent that practically perfect combustion occurs at the burners,and hence there is no necessity for an outlet for the products ofcombustion and the entire heat is utilized in the air reservoir.

The material of which the furnace is composed is unimportant so .far asthe present invention is concerned it being understood that wecontemplate the use of any appropriate material and the construction ofthe furnace in any desired sectional contour or area.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

l. The herein described hot air furnace comprising a horizontallydisposed casing, a horizontally disposed plate therein extending fromend to end and from side to side thereof and dividing said casing intoan upper chamber and a lower chamber, said plate being adapted to permitthe passage of products of combustion and heated air therethrough, headson the ends of the casing having air inlet openings to the lower chamberand further provided with means for connecting heated air conveyingpipes to the upper chamber, said heads forming the end walls of the saidupper and lower chambers, extending directly across the ends of the saidplate and when removed affording access to both of said chambers and tosaid plate, and a gas 'supply pipe having a series of burners in thelower chamber under the said plate.

2. The herein described hot air furnace comprising a horizontallydisposed casing, horizontally disposed angle brackets eX- tending aroundthe casing on the inner side thereof, certain of said angle bracketsbeing secured to the walls of said casing, a horizontally disposed platein the casing, extending from end to end and from side to side thereofand secured on said angle brackets, said plate being adapted to permitthe passage of products of combustion and heated air therethrough anddividinOl the casing into an upper chamber and a ower chamber, heads onthe ends of the easing having air inlet openings to the lower chamberbelow the said plate and further provided with means for connecting hotair conveying pipes to the upper chamber above said plate, said headsforming the end walls of the said upper and lower chambers, extendingdirectly across the ends of the said plate, and when removed affordingaccess to both of said chambers and to said plate, bands extendingaround the casing and having laterally project-ing sections formingsupports therefor, and a gas supply pipe having a series of burners inthe lower chamber.

In testimony whereof we aiix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES AKERSTREAM. JAMES HAMILTON FERGUSON.

Vitnesses HENRY YOUNG, WILLIAM TREWELLA.

